Working railroad-rail ends into billets



' s Shets-S heet 1. S. W. BALDWIN. Railroad-Rail Ends into Bi1lets,&o. Patented May 25. 1880.

Worki g 3 Sheets -.Sheet 2 V S. W BALDWIN, Workin'g Railroad-Rail Ends in t o Bills-ts 8w. No. 227,946. Patented-May 25,1880.

N. PETERS. PHOTD-UTMOGRAPNEH, WASHINGTON. 11C,

to five feet longwhereas at present they UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN W. BALDWIN, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

WORKING RAILROAD-RAIL ENDS INTO BILLETS, 84.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersjPatent No. 227,946, dated May 25, 1880.

Application filed July 18, 1579.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN W. BALDWIN, of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Working Railroad-Rail Ends into Billets, and tools and apparatus for performing that service and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming a part thereof, is a clear, true, and complete description of my invention.

Railroad -rail ends have heretofore been formed into merchantable billets in various ways but owing to modern improvements in the manufacture of railroad-iron, and in the form and relative proportions of the foot, web, and head of the rail, the utilization of rail ends, except for reworking into rails, has become almost impracticable.

It is well known that formerly rail ends were of considerable length--say from three seldom, if ever, exceed two feet at the most. Heretofore the longest of these ends have been converted into billets by rolling operations, commencing either with the rail end in its original form, or, more commonly, first dividing it into three longitudinal sections viz., head, web, and foot-or into two sections, one of which contains the foot and the other the web and head, and then rolling these sections separately. Only the long ends I are capable of being profitably worked by this sectional system, the shorter lengths having heretofore been reworked into rails.

The modern introduction of steel rails, together with the improved methods of manufacture, tend still further to decrease the length of rail ends to about twelve inches as a maXimum,-the rule being that they are much shorter than that, and hence the sectional system of forming billets therefrom is impracticable, and the incapacity of the metal to be welded on itself also renders it impracticable to roll such short steel-rail ends direct from the original form, which might be possible, although not profitable, with iron-rail ends of the same length.

It is well known that in working steel-rail ends the welding or reincorporation or work ing together of two scale-surfaces in contact,

so as to attain a homogeneous condition, is impossible, and therefore any mode of operation involving such contact of scale-surfaces would inevitably produce billets containing flaws and scams, rendering them unfit for general use in the manufacture of any line of goods involving thin rolling, and requiring either strength or fair surface finish.

I am well aware that rolls have been heretofore devised for working old rails into sheets or plates, commencing upon the rail in its normal form; but so far as my knowledge extends such rollshave never been successfully used in working rail ends.

The general object of my invention is to economically transform old railway-rails and rail ends into billets of such a form as will render them readily available for subsequent rolling operations, or for convenient use in a general way in the manufacture of a great variety of metal goods.

The special object of my invention is to economically produce rail-billets of superior quality, having reference to uniform density and freedom from scale, seams, and flaws, and also to practically and profitably transform into .merchantable billets of a valuable bulk and weight steel-rail ends of a shorter length than have been practically formed into billets under preexisting methods.

My invention mainly consists in the improve ment in converting rail ends into billets by subject-ing them to compression or percussion applied in lines at right angles to the plane of the web while the rail end is bodily immovable, but free to expand in all directions in the plane of the Web.

In the use of the term. bodily immovable I desire to be understood as meaning that in' the practice (7f my invention there is no movement of the rail end, considered as a Whole, during the application of pressure, and that, although its form is changedby the compressin g operations, it occupies at the termination of each compression substantially the same position it occupied at the beginning thereof.

A subordinate feature of my'invention consists inthe improvement in converting railwayrail ends into billets by subjecting the foot or the head thereof, either simultaneously or consecutively, to compression or percussion applied in lines at right angles to the plane of the web, while the web of the rail end is firmly confined against lateral or longitudinal movement.

The only method heretofore practiced under which the rail end in its normal condition has been transformed into a billet, as before herein indicated, involved the use of peculiarly-grooved rollers, fitted to operate on the foot and head of the rail end during the passage of the latter through the rolls.

My novel method differs mainly from the rolling operation, in that I confine the rail end against all bodily movement, whereas in the rolling operation the rail end moves bodily through the rolls.

In operative results they differ in this, that by my method, while working the foot of the rail end, no uneven crippling or folding down can occur, because the rail end is bodily immovable and firmly held so as to assure a uniform upset. In rolling the least angular movement of the rail end in passing through the rolls is conducive to the very crippling or folding result I seek to avoid; and, further, my operation is more rapid, and can therefore be fully effected with less heat or with the heat contained in a freshly-cut end; and, further, there is less loss in scale by my operation than with rolling, there being a fresh scale at every passage through the rolls, while with my process a single scale only is developed, resulting in' this respect alone in a saving of from two to three per cent. in scale loss.

In the practice of my invention, I believe I for the first time have produced from a rail end a billet without any change of the web portion of the rail end also to produce a billet from a rail end in its normal condition without rolling operations; also to produce billets from steel-rail ends in their normal form without liability of seams or laps therein; also the first to produce from a rail end in its normal form a billet of the same or practically the same length as the rail end; and these points will serve to illustrate the practical value of my invention, as well as the novelty involved therein, as an improvement in working rail ends. In rolling the effect is to prolong or longitudinally draw out the metal in the head and the foot without a corresponding working of the web, and the tendency is therefore to strain or weaken the metal at or near the lines of junction between the web and the foot and head, respectively, so that the billet thus .formed is not uniformly solid and homogeneous.

While I do not, under the main or the subordinate features of my invention, as they have been by me set forth, limit myself to any particular mechanism, I have devised certain means which have been proven by me to be practically valuable for attaining the results desired; and in that connection my invention consists in a pair of dies which are longitudinally scored for the reception of the opposite edges of the foot of a rail end, with mechanism for slowly advancing said dies toward each other and upon an interposed rail end,

said scores serving the doublepurpose of preventing the bodily movement of the rail end, and also preventirg said foot of the rail end from being crippled and folded upon itself or on the web.

While I hereinafter show dies whereby this operation has been successfully performed without the employment of means for clamping the web of the rail end, I prefer, for assuring the best results, that the web be independently confined and in that connection my invention further consists in the combination, with jaws for clamping a rail-end web and suitable mechanism for operating said jaws, of a'pair of dies, scored to receive the edges of the foot of the rail end, and suitable mechanism for operating said dies. This combination of devices is capable only of operating upon the foot of the rail end; and for operating upon the head alone my invention further consists in the combination, with clamping-jaws for holding a rail end by its web, of a pair of dies adapted to reduce the head of a rail end in a plane corresponding with that of the web, and suitable mechanism for operating the jaws and dies. The comparative non-liability of the head to be unevenly reduced enables these head-compressing dies to be capable of operating without a longitudinal score therein.

For simultaneously operating on the foot and head of the rail end with separate dies, my invention further consists in the combination, with a pair of longitudinally-scored dies and a pair of head-working dies, of clampingjaws interposed between the pairs of dies and suitable mechanism for operating the dies and jaws.

Under the features of invention thus far stated I do not limit myself to any particular operating mechanism, for I am well aware that it may be largely varied in kind without materially affecting the proper operation of the dies alone or the dies and jaws combined but I have devised a complex press which may be operated by the application of steam or hydraulic pressure; and in that particular connection my invention further consists in the combination, with clamping-jaws and one or two pairs of compressing-dies, of a system of levers and a separate steam or hydraulic operating-cylinder for the jaws and for each pair of dies, whereby the jaws may be controlled independently of either pair of dies and each pair of dies controlled independently of the other.

It is obvious that the power required for clamping will be less than is required for working either the head or the foot of the rail, and also that, owing to its greater bulk, more power will be required for working the head than for working the foot, and therefore I prefer that each pair of dies and the jaws be separately operated. Moreover, with the separate head and foot dies it'is desirable that the rail end be firmly clamped before either of the dies commence their work. In this press I employ the scored foot-dies, and also plain foot-dies, which follow the operation of the scored dies to complete the billet.

The finishing-dies operate in pairs, and I have so arranged them in my press that, having subjected the rail end to compression with the scored foot-dies and inclined or curved faced head-dies, the partially-compressed end may then be moved along and placed in position to be acted upon by the finishing-dies; and in that connection my invention further consists in the combination, with a pair of clamping-jaws adapted to firmly clamp a rail end by its web, a pair of longitudinally-scored footdies, and a pair of inclined or curved face head-dies, of a pair of finishing foot-dies and a pair of finishing head-dies.

I prefer that the four pairs of dies be accompanied by clamping-jaws common to all the dies, so that one of said jaws will operate as a bed, along which the rail end may be moved from the initial dies to the finishing-dies; and in that connection my invention further consists in the combination, with the initial dies and the finishing-dies, of clamping-jaws common to all of the dies, whereby one of said jaws may operate as a bed on which to slide the partially-formed billet from the initial dies to the finishing-dies.

In view of the economic importance of working a rail end at a single heat, the value of such an organization of dies and their operative mechanism as will render the operation rapid and with a minimum of radiating exposure will be readily obvious; and for the more complete attainment of that end my invention furtherconsists in the combination, with suitable operative mechanism and clamping-jaws, of four sets of dies simultaneously operated for performing at one and the same time the preliminary compression upon one rail end and the finishing operation upon another partially compressed or partly formed billet.

By locating my dies closely adjacent to the trimming machinery or rail-saw of a rail-mill the hot rail ends, as delivered therefrom, may, in their still heated condition, be formed promptly into billets without requiring any additional heatin To more particularly describe my invention, '1 will refer to the accompanying drawings, of which there are three sheets.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents, in section, a modern steelrail end. Fig. 2 represents, in section, a partially-formed billet, made from a rail end like that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents, in section, a complete billet. Fi 4 represents, in section, a pair of scored dies adapted to compress a rail end and perform the initial operation in converting it into a billet in accordance with my invention. Fig. 5 represents a pair of finishing-dies to follow the operation of those shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents, in section, the clampingjaws.

Fig. 7 represents, in section, a pair of scored foot-dies. Fig. 8 represents, in section, a pair of plain foot-dies. Fig. 9 represents, in section, two pairs of head-dies, one for initial and one for finishing operations. Figs. 10 and 11 represent, in section, the jaws and dies in their proper relative positions. Fig. 12 illustrates, in section, the dies Fig.4 provided With clamping-jaws. Fig. 13, Sheet 2, represents my press in side elevation. Fig. 14, Sheet 3, represents the same in end view. Fig. 15 is a lateral vertical section on line it a. Fig. 16 is a lateral vertical section on line a: 9

The rail end shown in Fig. 1 is of common modern form, and the proportions shown are similar to those of steel rails as usually made. The web a is preferably undisturbed in the formation of a billet, as this latter should be, for general use and as produced for general sale, of such form as will afford a thickness not less than the normal thickness of the web, so that the user may be sure of having the greatest possible thickness, if he so desires, it being readily within his power to reduce, but not to economically and practically increase, the thickness of the billet. The head i) should be so far reduced in width as to occupy substantially the same plane as the web; but for general use and sale that portion of the billet may be considerably thicker than the web, provided that at the junction of the head and web surfaces the angle is such as to admit of rolling without overlapping, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 3. The working of the head is a comparatively easy matter, and the web and head combined (separated from the foot) have been heretofore rolled with considerable success in working long rail ends.

It is in working the foot 0 that the greatest ditficulty has heretofore beenexperienced, because of its being so nearly equal to or greater in bulk than the web, its general resemblance to it in sectional form, and also to the rectangular and central position occupied by it with relation to the web.

In order to properly control the metal in the foot, the pressure or percussion must be applied equally and simultaneously at both edges in a line at right angles to the plane of the web, so as to properly locate the reduced metal. The least tipping or cramping of the foot so as to cause its two sides or edges to close down in opposite directions would result in the contact of scale-surfaces and produce a seamed or flawed billet, and it is therefore essential that the rail end he firmly held against all bodily v ing such as have been successfully used in carrying out the main feature of my invention.

The longitudinal scores d are for the reception of the edges of the foot, and it is obvious that after they have firmly engaged with the rail end the latter can have no bodily movement, although free, during the displacement of metal in the head or foot, to expand in all directions in the plane of the web. The advance ofthe dies toward each other soon brings their head-faces a into contact with the head of the rail end, and then both foot and head are simultaneously compressed until said dies occupy the position indicated by dotted lines, and the billet is partially formed, as also similarly indicated. The dies slightly chill the thin edges of the foot, which contributes to their rigidity; but the scores are so beveled at the sides to admit of an easy lateral movement or displacement of the metal without liability of overlapping upon itself or on the web. The center of the foot, having the greatest heat, freely expands outward, and maintains this convex outline to the finishing of the billet, which is a matter of practical value in subsequent rolling operations.

In Fig. 5 I show a pair of finishing-dies, B, which have no longitudinal scores, and which deliver the completed billet, Fig. 3.

For working solid dies of this character a very powerful press is required, and considerable care is also requisite for the accurate delivery of the rail end thereto by the attendant, because the rail end should he so maintained in position that the edges of the foot shall properly occupy the longitudinal scores (I.

When separate foot and head dies are used I prefer that they be accompanied by clamping-jaws (3, one form of which is shown in section in Fig. 6. These have coincident facesf, which correspond in sectional outline with the I sectional outline of the web of the rail ends to be worked, so as to firmly clamp the rail end by its web.

Thejaws may be mounted and operated in various ways, one method being hereinafter shown.

The dies A, Fig. 7, are for the initial workin of the foot of the rail end. They are essentially provided with the longitudinal score 61, for receiving the opposite edges of the foot 0 of the rail end. These dies may be variously operated, and those shown are provided with ears for connection either with operatin g-levers, as for compression, or with shoes for receiving blows thereon from a hammer, it being, of course, understood that said dies be so mounted in suitable guides as to be confined in their movement toward each other to a line at true right angles to the plane of the web of the rail end when clamped by thejaws. WVith these dies at full or complete compression of the foot cannot be effected because of the standing metal which occupies the scores (1, as shown in the partly-compressed billet, Fig. 2. and therefore a pair of plain dies, A as in Fig. 8, are next relied upon for completing the work.

The standing metal, which was formerly the edges of the foot, is, after the first com pression, of insufficient height to render it possi- 7o ble for the plain dies to cripple or bend it to the one side or the other, and it will be seen that the central portion of the foot of the rail is forced outward in the plane of the web, the remaining portions being quite equally distributed on either side, with faces nearly or quite parallel with each other, and with prolon-, gations of the surfaces of the web.

At Fig. 9 two sets of head-dies are shown, of which the dies g are for the initial operation and the dies h for completion. It will be seen that the dies ghave Working-faces which are slightly inclined, and that the outer edges thereof are farther removed from the dotted central line shown than the inner edges thereof, whereby the metal of the head, as its form is changed, is forced or drawn outward, leaving that portion of the billet after the first compression with flaring sides, as is shown in Fig.2. The finishing-dies it have straight faces, 0 which complete the drawing operation on the head and develop theparallel surfaces at that portion of the billet, as shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 10 the clamping-jaws, the scored foot-dies A, Fig. 7 and the head-dies gof Fig. 5 9 are shown in their proper relative positions with a rail end interposed. The jaws are first set so as to firmly hold the rail end against all bodily movement, and then the head and foot dies are simultaneously or consecutively oper- 10o ated in pairs to transform the rail end into the form shown in Fig. 2, after which the dies A and h complete the operation, they beingshown in their proper relative position in Fig. 11.

Thedies andjaws shown are capable of being operated in various ways without departing from the main feature of my invention; but for economic working much depends upon the operative mechanism employed, as well as upon certain matters of arrangement, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In Fig. 12 I show the solid dies A provided with clamping-jaws O, which occupy recesses in the jaws, are backed up by powerful springs, and so far project from said dies as to enable 1 I 5 them to engage with and firmly clamp the rail end byits web before the dies commence their work.

The particular organization of mechanism which I employ for carrying out myinvention is illustrated on Sheets 2 and 3.

Considered as a whole, this apparatus may be termed a triple press, in that it has three separate points for the independent application of power to clamping-jaws, foot-dies, and 12 5 head-dies.

I will first describe the clamping-jaws and their operating mechanism. The jaws O are located longitudinally and centrally in a suitably strong and heavy frame, D. As the 1 0 lower jaw need not be movable, it is mounted firmly upon-the frame at each end andcentrally supported or braced by a post, i. The upper jaw is movable, and should be limited to jaw is suspended from the top of the frame by.

centrally provided on its upper surface with square laterallyprojecting studs 70, which occupy vertical slots in both of said bars, the jaw and bars operating in a measure, therefore, as vertical guides for each other. On the upper front-end of the machine is a clampingjawoperating cylinder, F, provided with a piston and a rod, l, to which movement is given by steam or water under pressure delivered to and discharged from the cylinder by valve mechanism operated automatically or otherwise, in a manner too well known to require detailed drawings or description. The upper means of a series of jointed toggles, m, connected by means of a horizontal bar, m, which, at its front end, is jointed to the end ofa togglelever, in, having a fixed fulcrum at m in a bracket projecting from the frame, and connected by a vertical link, in, to piston-rod l, so that when the latter is lifted by its piston the upper jaw is forced into clamping relations with the lower or fixed jaw, for securely holding an interposed rail end by its web.

The pair of scored foot-dies A are each mounted on a movable bar, E, both of which bars are guided by contact with the frame of the machine at each end, and with the coincident surfaces of the jaws O, and centrally by the square studs k, before referred to. On one side of the top of the frame, centrally located longitudinally,is a foot-die-operatin g cylinder, Gr, provided, like thejaw-operating cylinder before described, with valve mechanism, piston, and a long piston -rod, 1, which is connected with both die-bars E by means of two links, a, two bellcrank levers, a, two horizontal bars, 42 and the two series of toggles 12 The upper die-bar E is suspended byits toggles it from the top of the frame, and the lower diebar E is supported by its toggles 02 which take bearing with their pivots in the bed of the frame. It will readily be seen that the upward movement of the piston-rod I will cause the two dies A to approach each other for compression, and that the downward movement of said rod will cause them to separate. .These same die bars E also carry the finishing foot-dies, A said bars being twice the length of the dies, which abut endwise with each other midway of the bar.

The head-working dies g and hare similarly mounted on die-bars E, which are connected with their cylinder G by its piston-rod and other links, levers, bars, and toggles, as already described in connection with the foot-dies.

The connections of thelinks to the piston-rods should be adjustable, or those'parts should be otherwise so constructed as to admit of more or less capacity for adjustment, whereby the jaws or dies may be variably opened. The degree of compression will, of course, vary with the pressure of steam or water within the cylinders, and that can be readily governed through well-known valve mechanism.

The jaws and dies being separately operated, the proper clamping of the rail end may be attained prior to the operation of the dies, and these latter may be simultaneously operated, as is preferable in most cases, or they can be separately operated-as, for instance, if ever desirable, a rail end may be first sectionally divided by separating the head or the foot from the web, leaving the web with either the foot or the head to be worked, in which case the proper dies need only be employed, leaving the others idle.

The solid dies, Fig-s4, 5, and 12, can be used in this press by removing therefrom the clampin g-jaws G and their operative mechanism, and having each set of die-toggles properly connected to the upper and lower dies, respectively, in which case the die cylinders G and G should be provided with a single set of valve mechanism common to both cylinders. I would prefer, however, for the solid dies a single cylinder with sufficient area of piston to perform the required work.

When the apparatus is designed for service at some particular rail-mill, the length of the dies should be sufficient to work the longest ends common to that mill; but of whatever length the dies may be, they can be used on ends longer than they are, or on old rails, by the intermittent advance of the rail into the machine, its construction being such that it can as safely operate upon one short end between either set of dies as it can simultaneously operate with all its dies upon a rail end which is as long as the machine itself.

It will readily be seen that if my appara tus be located closely adjacent to the saw of a rail-mill a red-hot end, however short, may be put directly into the dies, one succeeded by another and pushed forward by it, sothat the finished billets will drop from the rear end of the machine; or if the supply of ends be not sufficiently rapid for that purpose each rail end may be pushed through from the front to the rear dies, and thence pushed separately from the machine.

I contemplate the use of well-known valve mechanism by which the jaws and dies will be automatically operated in proper closing and opening succession, so thata tender will only be required for inserting the rail ends at the front of the machine.

The billet as made by me has been described as possessing certain novel and valuable characteristics; but I herein lay no claim thereto, as I intend to make it the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut-- 1. The improvement in converting rail ends into billets by subjecting them to compression or percussion applied in lines at right angles I to to the plane of the web while the rail end is confined against bodily movement, substantially as described. I

2. The improvement in converting railwayrail en dsin to billets by subjecting thefoot or the head of the rail end, or both of them, either simultaneously or consecutively, to compression or percussion applied in lines at rightangles to the plane of the web of the rail end, while the web of .the rail end is firmly c011- fined against all lateral or longitudinal movement, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, with jaws for clamping a rail end by its web and suitable mechanism for operating said jaws, of a pair of dies, scored to receive the edges of the foot of a rail end, and suitable mechanism for operating said dies for upsetting the foot, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with clamping-jaws for holding a rail end by its web, of a pair of dies adapted toreduccthe head of a rail end in a plane corresponding with that of the web, and suitable mechanism for operating the jaws and dies, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a pair of longitudinally-seored foot-dies and a pair of headworking dies, of clamping-jaws interposed between them, and suitable mechanism for operating the jaws and dies, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with clamping-jaws and one or more pairs of compressing-dies for working rail ends into billets, of a system of levers and a separate steam or hydraulic operatingcylinder for the jaws and for each pair of dies,

substantially as described, whereby the jaws and the pairs of dies may be separately operated, as set forth.

7. The combination, with suitable operating mechanism, a pair of clamping-jaws adapted to firmly clamp a rail end by its web, a pair of longitudinally-scored foot-dies, and a pair of inclined faced head-dies, of a pair of finishing foot-dies and a pair of finishing headdies, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with suitable operating mechanism, a pair of initial dies for working on a rail-end foot or head, and a pair of finishing dies for working on a rail-end foot or head, of clamping-jaws common to all the dies, substantially as described, whereby one ofthe jaws in ay operate as a bed, on which a partially-formed billet may be supported while being pushed from one pair of dies to the other, as set forth.

9. The combination, with suitable operating mechanism and clamping-jaws, of four sets of dies simultaneously operated, substantially as described, whereby the foot and head of a rail end may be partially worked in the forming of a billet by two sets of dies, while the finishing operation is performed by the other two sets of dies, as set forth.

STEPHEN W. BALDYVIN. Witnesses:

WILLIAM RILEY,

EDWARD L. SCHULTZ. 

